The National Archives holds the archives of the Australian Government, also known as the federal or Commonwealth government. The records we hold date mostly from Federation in 1901.
We generally do not hold records on:
For much of the 20th century the Australian Government was responsible for the administration of territories, such as the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Norfolk Island. This means that the National Archives holds certain records about territories that it doesn't hold for the states.
Adoption and state care of children is not administered by the Australian Government. You should contact the relevant state or territory for information about how to access adoption records and records about state wards. A list of links about adoption and state care has been prepared by the AIATSIS Family History Unit, and is useful for Australians of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous background.
The National Archives does have many records about Indigenous Australians, many of whom grew up separated from their families. You can find out more about our records about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Registration of births, deaths and marriages is not an Australian Government responsibility, so the National Archives does not hold these records. To access these records, contact the appropriate registrar in the state or territory where the event occurred. The one exception to this is those who died while a serving member of the armed forces. You can find out more, including the contact details for the various state and territory registrars and the service arms, in Fact Sheet 89 – Births, deaths and marriages.
There are published guides and indexes to Australian cemetery inscriptions, many of which can be accessed online. Web Sites for Genealogists can help you find cemetery records.
Change of name by deed poll is administered by state and territory registrars of birth, death and marriage. Contact details are available in Fact Sheet 89 – Births, deaths and marriages.
Many records of British colonial units that served in Australia were copied under the Australian Joint Copying Project. Copies are held by the National Library of Australia and major state libraries.
Records about colonial migration are held by the relevant state archival institutions. The federal Australian Government's involvement with immigration only began with Federation in 1901, and exactly when this function transferred varies from state to state. Most 20th-century passenger records in our collection date from 1924.
Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
Convict records can be found in the state archival institutions corresponding to the colony to which the convict was transported. Likewise, state archives hold records about prisoners and gaols.
Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
Information about criminal and lower court proceedings can be accessed through state archival institutions. Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
The National Archives holds the records of the High Court of Australia, including judges' notebooks, correspondence and records of Court judgments. More information about High Court records can be found in Fact Sheet 221 – High Court of Australia.
State archival institutions should be able to assist in locating divorce records. There are online divorce indexes for several states.
Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
State and territory archives should also be able to help you with information relating to land titles and settlements. Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
The National Archives collection is mostly made up of 20th-century records. There are some earlier records among our holdings, for functions like post offices and naturalisation, which were transferred from the colonies to the federal government at the time of Federation.
Generally original records about people and events in 19th-century history can be found in state archival institutions, in libraries, manuscript collections and historical societies.
Contact details for some of these organisations can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
Employment records for state government services (buses, railways, tramways, police, education, health and agriculture) are held by state and territory archives. Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
Wills and probate records are held by state-based authorities, usually the Supreme Court Registry in each state. There are published indexes for some jurisdictions and access is often through state archival instutitions. Web Sites for Genealogists has information on how to access wills and probate records.
Contact details for state archives can be found in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other Australian archival institutions.
For hints on where to go to research family history other than the National Archives, see:
For contact details for other Australian archival institutions, see: